Google's 345K Preferred Sources won't fix AI traffic collapse
Google launched a 'Preferred Sources' button to combat AI-driven traffic losses. It lets users favorite publishers in Search and AI Overviews to boost click-through rates.
Google rolled out a 'Preferred Sources' embeddable button for publishers, hoping to mitigate the traffic destruction caused by its AI Overviews and AI Mode. The feature integrates with Google's ecosystem, letting users favorite sites to increase their prominence in search results and news feeds. Google claims this can double click-through rates, offering a lifeline to publishers hurt by zero-click AI searches. Additionally, Google is updating its Discover feed to allow natural language customization, further personalizing content consumption.